It was lucky we took the one, as the other, we afterwards learned, had been put into a state of defence and manned by the outlaws, who in such a place could have shot us all down without danger to themselves.
This short narrative will give some sort of idea of the state of the country at that period.

Thereafter it became necessary that the cattle in the mountains should be more carefully guarded and looked after, and the duty fell to me to "cut sign." By "cutting sign" is meant, in this instance, the riding round and outside of all our cattle, pushing back any that had strayed too far, and carefully looking out for fresh sign (footprints) of cattle or horses leading beyond our range limits.

Such sign was always suspicious, and the trail must be followed till the stock was found and accounted for.

If horse tracks accompanied the cattle it would be a dead sure proof that something was wrong.

I continued this work for a long time, but nothing suspicious occurred.